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Ducati

It’s difficult for any brand not to be hugely successful when its name sounds as glorious as Ducati. But there are a number of reasons other than its great-sounding name that make Ducati motorcycles among the most admired and most coveted sports bikes in the world.

Ducati was founded in 1926 in Bologna, Northern Italy and produced its first motorcycle engine in 1946. It went on to build a great reputation for manufacturing off-road bikes, and its history as a superbike maker began in 1972, when its newly introduced 750 V-twin model secured both first and second places at the Imola 200.

As Ducatis are such sought after motorbikes, it’s only natural that rock stars should own them. In December 2007, U2 front man Bono’s rare Ducati 916 motorcycle was sold at auction raising £11,500. Bono, well known for campaigning for Africa since the 1980s, donated the bike to help raise money for the charity Riders for Health, an organisation that enables health workers in Africa provide essential care to rural villages. The bike had quite a history in terms of its ownership; as well as belonging to Bono it had also once belonged to the late INXS singer Michael Hutchence, and Adam Clayton, Bono’s fellow U2 band member. The sale of the Ducati was the climax to the auction at the International Motorcycle and Scooter Show at the Birmingham NEC. In total, almost £20,000 was raised for charity through selling off some amazing pieces of motorcycling memorabilia including a race helmet signed by racing legends including Damon Hill and Stirling Moss. Bono signed the Ducati’s tank with the touching personal message ‘for Michael, Bono’ in memory of his late friend Hutchence.

Ducati enthusiasts can see Ducati’s racing history lovingly preserved in the Ducati Museum located at the company’s factory headquarters. The museum highlights 50 years of the manufacturer’s racetrack heritage from the popular post-World War II ‘Cucciolo’ to the more recent breakthrough with the ‘Desmosedici’. The museum houses 33 legendary motorcycles displayed around an illuminated racetrack, showcasing Ducati’s technological innovation, award-winning design, and outstanding racetrack performance. Each of the museum's seven themed rooms provides more detailed information including specially written essays by international motorcycle journalists.

And for those of you not satisfied with just looking, you can now test ride the Ducati of your dreams. There are a number of authorised Ducati dealers in the UK with demonstration bikes available to test ride. According to the Ducati website, Ducati Manchester, a large Ducati dealer, has the models GT 1000, Multistrada 1100S, M695, Hypermotard 1100, 1098S, and 848 available to test ride. Ducati Wolverhampton, another authorised dealer, has the Sport 1000 Bip, and S4Rs models in its range of demonstration bikes.

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